To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Languages: Teachers
Monday 3rd February 2025

Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve foreign language teaching in schools and colleges, in particular the practical experience of speaking a foreign language in the host country, following the decision not to continue the UK's participation in the Erasmus Programme.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Having the opportunity to study a modern foreign language should be part of the broad and rich education that every child in this country deserves.

Languages provide an insight into other cultures and can open the door to travel and employment opportunities. They also broaden pupils’ horizons, helping them flourish in new environments.

The government is committed to providing enriching opportunities for students and young people to experience other countries and cultures, including through school trips and exchanges. We also recognise the difficulties that schools have faced in recent years when it comes to organising visits. The UK has agreed measures with France which make school trip travel between the UK and France easier.

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. Students can develop new skills, including language skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. The scheme has been helping tens of thousands of UK students to study and work abroad for four years and we have recently announced that the scheme will be running for a fifth year.

The UK has a bilateral student exchange programme with Germany, the UK German Connection (UKGC), which provides opportunities for children, young people, and a limited number of language teachers in the UK and Germany to engage in a range of activities, including seminars, exchanges, visits and study courses. UKGC seeks to support current German learners in the UK and encourage more to learn the language.

The department also has a long-standing Language Assistants Programme, delivered by the British Council, to improve modern foreign language skills through direct interaction with native speakers from around the world. This includes arranging placements in the UK for non-UK residents to assist with teaching French, Spanish, Mandarin, German and Italian (as Modern Language Assistants). In the 2024/25 academic year, there are 700 Modern Language Assistants allocated to UK schools.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2022
Child Hunger in Schools

"My Lords, locally sourced food could be served in schools and other local authority institutions such as prisons and hospitals. If 50% of all the food served in school meals was locally sourced, would this not reduce the cost of production?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Child Hunger in Schools
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 07 Nov 2022
Family: Protective Effect

"My Lords, I am a patron of the National Association of Child Contact Centres. Will my noble friend give a big shout out for child contact centres, which play a phenomenal role, relying primarily on volunteers to run them? Cafcass used to provide the service, and the NACCC has not …..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Family: Protective Effect
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 29 Mar 2022
Foreign Languages: Economic Value

"My Lords, the Erasmus programme was reciprocal, so tuition fees were not paid. In my noble friend’s experience, how many European universities have waived tuition fees under the Turing programme to enable UK students to apply without paying tuition fees?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Foreign Languages: Economic Value
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 24 Jun 2019
Education: Industrial Strategy

"My Lords, will the Minister confirm not only that this Government are putting more money into apprenticeships but that more apprenticeships are being completed, and more full-time jobs are being offered to those who have completed their apprenticeships?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Education: Industrial Strategy
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 28 Apr 2016
Rural Schools

"My Lords, will my noble friend the Minister give the House an assurance that the 40 least-funded education authorities will have per capita funding addressed so that rural areas will benefit greatly from the new funding formula?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Rural Schools
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 22 Mar 2016
Schools: Funding

"My Lords, will my noble friend confirm that the historic underfunding of counties such as North Yorkshire will be rectified by having regard to rural depravity, isolation and rurality factors?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Schools: Funding
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 Mar 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"I share the Minister’s preference that this should be done on a voluntary basis, but does she not agree that in industries such as ceramics and bricks China enjoys unfair competition over companies such as York Handmade Brick Company, given the cheaper energy China produces?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 12 Feb 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for referring to the Select Committee report. Unfortunately, one year might be too late for the many dairy farmers going out of business. Will he undertake an immediate and urgent review into extending the remit of the GCA to indirect supply chains, …..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 15 Jan 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"I congratulate the Government on their investment through tax credits and the wonderful boost that that has given to the UK film industry. Will he join me in celebrating the investment made by small cinemas such as the Ritz in Thirsk and the Palace in Malton to bring digital cinema …..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions